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When the Power Tubes Run Out

A lot of you have nice amps that essentially require quality NOS tubes. Do you have any plans about what you are going to do when you get cut out of the diminishing tube-trade loop? Or are you like Dubya?...By the time tubes run out someone will have thought of a substitute. I don't see a sub of equal quality on the horizon. No one is insane enough to spend the money in order make them like they used to for such a small market. And even if they did, the price of those tubes would make the NOSes look like a dime a dozen. But maybe i'm wrong.

So SS for you, then? *Cringe*, i'm sure:) Any idea if or how the industry (e.g. high-end tube amp manufacturers and/or SS companies) will respond when the supply becomes critically low?
ohlala

Showing 1 response by lilmsmaggie

lilmsmaggie
273 posts
 
A lot of you have nice amps that essentially require quality NOS tubes.

  • NOS tubes are not a necessity --they are desirable.  
  • Do NOS tubes sound better? -- that depends on the tube and the source from which they came. 
  • Are you into tube rolling? -- that can get expensive. 

There are plenty of good, newer production tubes available, e.g  JJ/Tesla in Czechoslovakia,  Svetlana in Russia, Shuguang, China.  

I don't see production shortages any time soon.

I have an EL84 based integrated amp (2 EL84's per channel), 3 ECC83's, 1 ECC82 and 1 6DJ8 -- that's 9 tubes total. 

None of them are NOS tubes.  
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